Conveyer control apparatus



Sept. 28, 1954 R. s. COLEMAN 2,690,250

CONVEYER CONTROL APPARATUS Filed March 9, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l I hbentor Sept 28, 1954 s, O E 2,690,250

CONVEYER CONTROL APPARATUS Filed March 9, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 V I Inventor S P 28, 1954 R. s COLEMAN 2,690,250

goods from the junction. The invention is related-to that described in my oo-pending American patent application Serial No. 32,229, filed 'June 10,1948, now Patent Patented Sept. 28, 1954 Robert Sheldon Coleman. Burton-on-Trent, gEnglanduw-w- Application March 9, 1951, {Serial No. 214,675"

. 1 This invention relates to conveyor control apparatus;

1 The object of the invention to provide improved apparatus for controlling goods or packages or any other matter being conveyed by travelling conveyors at the point where 'a branch line anda main track'or'any two conveyor lines converge, the apparatus being'entirely mechanical andoperating automatically so that itwill be unnecessary to have an attendant stationed atthe converging point'to arrange the flow of No. 2,667,957. In comparison with the prior invention the present invention hasfor its object to provide a more simple and more positive locking action. r v a Referring to the drawings which form a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a plan of a control apparatus showing the parts in one of their operative positions;

Figure 2 is a plan showing theparts in the other .oftheir operative positions; I

Figure 3 is a plan showing the parts in a neutral or intermediate position.

The apparatus comprises a frameembodying a plate In which will be hereinafter referred to as the base plate. 7 Certain pivots and pins will be hereinafter mentioned as upstanding from this base plate. The frame will be completed by'a second plate exactly similar to the plate I and drilled to fit on to the upper ends of these pivots and pins, where it will be located and secured by nuts or other means. The second plate has been omitted from the drawings to avoid having to show the working parts in dotted lines.

eclaims. (clues-21) The base plate Ill has a fixed pin l5 upstanding from it and one end of an arm or link I 3 is pivotally mounted on the pin. To the other end of the arm I3 one end of another arm or link 13 is pivotally connected. The opposite end of the link I3 is pivotally connected to a lug it which is fixed to a boss I! which is free to swivel round a fixed pivot l8 upstanding from the base plate ID. The lug l 6 is attached to or forms part of an arm 20 which controls one of the conveyors and is of suitably rigid and robust construction.

The base plate III has another upstanding pin 2| to which one end of an arm or link [4 is pivotally attached, and to the other end of the arm l4 one end of another arm or link I4 is pivotally connected. The opposite end of the link [4 is pivotally connected to a lug 22 which is fixed to This can clearly beseen from the drawings.

a boss '23- which is free to swivel round a fixed pivot 24 upstanding from the base plate It), the lug 22 being attached to or forming part of an arm 25, similar to the arm 20, the arm 25 controlling the other conveyor. v

f Anindication of the general direction of the two converging conveyor lines with which the apparatus is intended to be used is given by the letters-A'and B in'Fig.3 of the drawings which show theparts in the neutralposition.

The movement of the arms 20,'25 out of the obstructing positions is opposed by springs 2'6, 26*- attached to the pivots I6, 22' and to a fixed pin 21, the springs tending to draw each arm into a-neutral position as shown in Figure 3.

-The linkages I3 l3 and W, l4 are interconnected by a single straight lever, which is 'desirably 'constructed so that'its-length can be adjusted; It is shown in the form of a central stud'one part 28* of which has left-hand screwthreads'and par't' 28 of which has right-hand screw threads." It'has an adjusting nut 28 and lock nut 28 The stud is screwed into two end block's 28. 28 shaped to fit on to the pivot pins 13 M of the linkages. The effective length of the lever is adjusted so that when one of the arms 20, 25 is deflected to the open position to allow the passage of traffic the other arm is locked in' 'clos'ed position by reason of the fact that the two links associated with it are straightenedout-by the lever to'a straight line position. In Figure 1' the arm 25 is open allowing traflic to pass and the arm 20 is closed, and its associated links 13 l3 are in a straight line position. No amount of pressure against the arm 20 in the general direction of the arrow can move it. Goods can build up along the conveyor it controls but it will continue to hold them back. Supposing now that all trafilc has passed the arm 25 leaving it free to swing back towards the obstructing position under the influence of the spring 26, the links I4 I4 will begin to straighten out somewhat and the lever connecting the two linkages will move the links 13 |3 out of their straight line position. A mid-way position of the parts is seen in Figure 3. Pressure of the trafiic against the arm 20, however, will deflect that arm as soon as it is freed and the parts will move rapidly through the Figure 3 position and attain the other operative position shown in Figure 2, where the linkage [4, [4 is in a straight line position locking the arm 25 and the arm 20 is open. The interconnecting lever is set so that its effective length ensures that when one of the control arms is in the non-obstructing position the linkage associated with the other arm will be moved into a straight line position in which it will be quite impossible to move the other arm from the obstructing position in which it is locked.

During rest periods the apparatus will tend to assume the Figure 3 position by virtue of the spring action, but on operation :recommencinz there will be a movement of one arm into the open position and a simultaneous locking of the other.

I claim:

1. Conveyor control apparatus for two converging conveyor lines comprising a frame, a control arm, a pair of links pivotally mounted in the frame, pivotally connected to each other by an intermediate pivot and operatively associated with the control arm, a second control arm, another pair of links pivotally mounted in the frame, pivotally connected to each other by another intermediate pivot andoperatively associated with said second control arm, each arm being adapted when the apparatus is placed at the junction of the converging conveyor lines to extend across one of the conveyor lines, and a single lever member extending across from the intermediate pivot of one pair of links to the intermediate pivot of the other pair of :links so that when one of the arms is moved aside by the passage of 'traiilc along the conveyor line controlled by said arm, the other arm is locked so that traiiic cannot pass along the line controlled by said last named arm.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 :in which the interconnecting lever is so proportioned that when one pair of links has been deflected to-allow its associated control arm to move into an open position with respect to its conveyor line the other pair of links is automatically moved into a straight line position serving to look its associated control arm immovably in a closedposition with respect to :its conveyor line.

'3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 "in which the effective length of the interconnecting lever is adjustable.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which the interconnecting lever consists of a screw having right-hand and left-hand threaded parts screwed one into each of a pair-of end members, the end members being pivotally connected one to each pair of links, so that by turning the screw the effective length of the lever is altered 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which the lever screw is fitted with an adjusting nut and a lock nut by which it can be locked at the required setting.

6. A conveyor control apparatus comprising a frame, two arms pivotally mounted on the frame, each adapted when the apparatus is placed at the Junction of two converging conveyor lines to extend across one of the conveyor lines, a pair of links pivotally connected to each other by an intermediate pivot, one link of the pair being pivotally connected also to one of said arms and the other link of the pair being connected also to a fixed pivot on the frame, a second pair of links pivotally connected to each other by another intermediate pivot, one link of the pair being pivotally connected also to the other of said arms and the other link of the pair being pivotally connected also to another fixed pivot on the frame, and a lever one end of which is pivotally connected to the intermediate pivot of one pair of links and the other end of which is pivotally connected to the intermediate pivot of theother pair of .links, the lever being so arranged that when one of the arms ismoved aside by the passage of .traflicelong the-conveyor line controlled by said arm, the pair of links-connected to the other arm is moved into a straight line position which serves to lock the other arm immovably so that trailic could not pass along the conveyor line controlled by said last named arm.

'7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 in which each arm has a spring connected to it tending to urge the arm into a neutral position free to move either into the openor the closed position on movement being imparted to its associated pair of links.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 in which the lever connected between the two pairs of links constructed so that its effective length is capable of adjustment to ensure that the movement imparted to one pair of links when its associated control arm moves into the open position is arranged to move the other pair of links into an exactly straight line position for most positively locking the other arm in the closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number .Name Date 2,349,968 Kampfer May 30, 1944 

